Fighter plane



Sept. 26, 1944. R? FQNCK' 2,358,919

FIGHTER PLANE Filed Jan. 9. 1941 Patented Sept. 26, 1944 FIGHTER PLANERen Fonck, Paris, France; vested in the Alien Property CustodianApplication January 9, 1941, Serial No. 373,714 In France November 28,1939 1 Claim.

It is a known fact that at the present time, the firing apparatus(machine guns or cannons) used by the pilots of a fighter plane, aresecured to the plane in such way as to form part of the same, and thepilot directs his fire by directing the plane itself. In thetwo-seaters, in which a gunner is situated in the rear of the pilot, thefighting apparatus used by the gunner are not rigidly mounted on theplane, and the gunner is situated in a turret which allows him to directhis arms at will. It is shown by experience that a plane thus equippedwill often be in conditions which are defective when acting against anenemy plane coming in the rear.

The object of the present invention is to overcome such drawbacks and toprovide a fighter plane having a great effectiveness for firing.

For this purpose, according to the invention, not only is the region orhemisphere in front of the airplane covered by the firing apparatussecured to the plane, as in the known apparatus, but the region orhemisphere in the rear is covered, according to the same principle, byfiring apparatus which are also secured to the plane, and the gunner canemploy controls which enable him to act upon the whole of the controlsurfaces of the plane, both vertically and laterally, in such way thathe can direct his fire by directing the plane himself.

In the accompanying drawing, which is given by way of example:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side view of a fighter plane according to theinvention.

Fig. 2 is a corresponding plan view.

Fig. 3 shows a detail in plan view, indicating diagrammatically and byway of example, a constructional form of the control lines.

Fig. 4 is a like view, in perspective.

In the example shown in the drawing, the airplane comprises armsdirected towards the front, which are secured to the airplane in suchway as to form .part of the same, these being controlled by the pilotwho occupies the seat 2. The pilot controls the airplane by the usualmeans, i. e., the control stick 3 and the single-tree 4. The controlstick acts upon the elevators 5 by cables 6, and the single-tree 4 actsupon the rudders 8 by cables 9.

According to the invention, the arms In (machine guns, cannon, etc.)used by the gunner, who occupies the seat I! turned towards the rear,are secured in place on the airplane, as well as the arms I. The gunnercan operate control lines by which he can act upon the. control surfacesof the avion, like the pilot. These control lines are representeddiagrammatically in the drawing by the control stick 3' and thesingletree 4'. As shown in Fig. 4, the stick '3 is connected by levers Mto the cables 6 which actuate the elevators, and the single-tree 4 isconnected by cables 9 to the cables 9 leading to the rudders.

In these conditions, if an enemy plane comes into the rear region, thegunner will direct his fire, not by directing his arms as in the knownapparatus, but by acting upon the airplane control lines in such way asto place the rear part of the plane in the desired direction, bothvertically and laterally.

As will be understood, the rear stand is not a piloting stand properlyso called, but it only serves to allow the gunner to give the rear partof the plane the desired firing position.

A signal device of any kind may be employed, in order that the gunnermay advise the pilot that he is to act upon the control surfaces.

It is also feasible to provide a device for uncoupling the controllines, in order that the lines actuated by the pilot and the linesactuated by the gunner shall be entirely independent.

A fighter plane thus arranged has great advantages. The firing apparatuscan be readily and rapidly mounted and replaced. The apparatus offersless resistance to flight, and it is finer and is more available as tospace occupied.

The construction shown in the drawing is obviously given solely by wayof example. The arms at the front and rear may be secured to the wings,in the fuselage, or in the rear of the engine nacelles. If necessary,they may be pointed permanently in any direction.

The control lines actuated by the gunner may obviously be placed in suchmanner that the movements which he effects in order to direct the rearend of the plane shall be exactly the same as the movements effected bythe pilot in order to direct the front part.

The invention is applicable to multi-seaters of all types.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

In a fighter airplane having fixed forwardly directed guns operable fromthe forwardly directed pilots seat and fixed rearwardly directed gunsoperable from the rearwardly directed gunners seat, a dual controlsystem comprising control means operable by the pilot for the controlsurfaces of the aircraft and control means operable by the gunner forcontrolling the same control surfaces of the craft, whereby either thepilot or the gunner may control the attitude of the aircraft therebycontrolling the direction of gun fire.

RENE FONCK.

